An Ethereal, Rustic Wedding at Beloftebos in Stanford, South Africa

Christine Brand (23 and a teacher) and Chris Fourie (22 and an engineer) first met on the preschool playground, but their love story only started years later when they discovered they had beach houses at the same sleepy seaside town. Christine came home from that summer and told her mother that she was going to marry Chris someday, and three years later, Chris finally asked Christine out on a date. A few years later, Chris proposed—twice. The first time he got down on one knee was on a hike up to Lion’s Head, and the second time was with an Edwardian-inspired ring in front of a little country church in the pouring rain. Since Christine and Chris are both from Cape Town, South Africa, they wanted to have a reception close by. They decided on Beloftebos, just outside Cape Town. “The fairy tale setting beneath age old oak trees transports you to a dream world and guarantees a magical wedding day,” says Christine. The bride’s mother-in-law made her ethereal wedding dress. The couple did most of the decor themselves to bring their vision to life. Jo Stokes Photography captured South African details included roosterkoek straight from the fire served with apricot jam and cheese from the neighboring Kleinrivier Cheesery. The color palette of natural greens and blush seamlessly matched the woodland venue. Every detail of the wedding stayed true to Christine and Chris as a couple and turned their wedding day into an ethereal fairy tale.